July 10, 2019

Making the case for college admissions tests

The ACT and SAT provide many valuable benefits to both students and schools, proponents say.

Yoon Choi, Cynthia Schmeiser and Wayne Camara

July 8, 2019

California may create 5th year high school graduation rate

The new rate will credit districts for helping non-graduating seniors to earn a diploma the next year. It would be combined with the 4-year grad rate on the School Dashboard.

John Fensterwald

July 5, 2019

Fifty years after desegregation, wide racial and ethnic achievement gaps persist in Berkeley

Berkeley’s 2020 Vision initiative was supposed to eliminate achievement gaps for the entering kindergarten class in 2007 but a year from its target date, it is clear that it still has a long way to go in reaching its ambitious goals.

Louis Freedberg

June 6, 2019

Students in California log on in record numbers to take online state tests

At least 92 percent of students have access to the minimum internet speed needed, but some districts have to stagger test-takers to avoid glitches.

Sydney Johnson

May 26, 2019

Don’t use the SAT or ACT to undermine education accountability

College admissions tests rank students on a curve rather than measuring how well they are meeting state standards and are weaker predictors of college performance than high-school grades.

Pamela Burdman and Christopher Edley, Jr.

February 18, 2019

California students may not be ready for new science test

Although students will begin taking the California Science Test in March, most school districts have yet to approve textbooks or materials aligned to the new standards adopted six years ago by the State Board of Education. Still, federal law is requiring California to begin testing this year.

Diana Lambert

January 9, 2019

School districts will be required to verify they’re fixing California’s lowest-performing schools

The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to identify and improve student achievement in the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools. Districts with those schools will explain how in a new section of their Local Control and Accountability Plans.

John Fensterwald

October 2, 2018

Small rise in California’s math and reading scores in 2018

There are signs of "encouragement" and "distress" in implementing the Common Core standards after four years of Smarter Balanced testing. There is also a dilemma: 11th-grade results.

John Fensterwald

September 30, 2018

Gov. Brown vetoes bill to let districts give SAT or ACT as 11th grade test

Dozens of districts are offering the tests at their own expense already, because scores on SAT and ACT, not Smarter Balanced, are what matters to high school juniors.

John Fensterwald

September 6, 2018

California to add chronic absenteeism, career/college indicators to education 'dashboard'

The State Board of Education has no answer to a basic question: Should the state measure readiness for 'college and careers' or 'college or careers'?

John Fensterwald

September 4, 2018

New ‘friendlier’ look coming for California’s school dashboard

Complaints that the state education data web site was too difficult to understand led to redesigned version.

John Fensterwald

August 29, 2018

Offering the SAT instead of Smarter Balanced will open doors to college

11th graders suffering test fatigue from too many tests and SAT better positions underserved students for college, proponents say.

Christopher J. Steinhauser

August 23, 2018

Renewed push to offer SAT and ACT as California's 11th-grade test

Superintendents say free college readiness testing for all would raise SAT/ACT scores and boost college admissions. Opponents say AB 1951 would undermine the usefulness of high school testing.

John Fensterwald

August 15, 2018

California gets high grade in measuring teachers’ reading instruction skills

Linda Darling-Hammond, chair of teacher credentialing commission, calls the state assessment out of date and not a good predictor of classroom performance.

John Fensterwald

July 26, 2018

California kids who didn’t learn to read to get day in court

The lawsuit demands that the state improve reading and writing instruction in schools serving low-income students of color.

John Fensterwald